Almost 250 new mums were discharged from hospital in the middle of the night by Teesside hospital trusts in a year, reports claim.

Concerns have been raised over the release from hospital between 11pm and 6am of women who have given birth.

Details released under Freedom of Information laws indicated 129 women were released during the night during 2013/14 by South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital. A further 117 were released by North Tees and Hartlepool.

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said being discharged in the night is not appropriate “under any circumstances”.

In response, the Department of Health said many women who have healthy babies choose to go home soon after giving birth, but that this should always happen in discussion with a clinician.